Heat continues to force early school dismissals

Wednesday

North Penn joined several other area school districts in deciding to dismiss students at some schools early Thursday because of the continued excessive heat.

Several area school districts continue to dismiss students early because of the heat wave, and North Penn added itself to the list on Wednesday after at least one parent raised concerns.

The parent, who asked that her name not be used, wrote in a letter shared with this news organization that her children attending North Penn schools without air conditioning "come home from school in sweat drenched clothing, flopping on the couch not wanting to move for hours."

She urged school district officials to dismiss students at non-air conditioned schools 90 minutes or two hours early. North Penn spokeswoman Christine Liberaski responded Wednesday that district schools without central air conditioning — Knapp Elementary School, and Penndale, Pennbrook and Pennfield middle schools — would all dismiss students early Thursday, with the elementary school letting students go at 1 p.m. and the three middle schools dismissing at noon.

Liberaski didn't say whether that decision was made because of the parent's letter.

The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory earlier this week and extended it through Thursday night due to high temperatures and oppressive humidity. The weather service forecast calls for heat index values of near 100 degrees. Friday looks to be cooler but still humid.

Among area school districts, Morrisville dismissed students early from both its schools Tuesday and Wednesday because they are only partially air conditioned.

Bristol Township dismissed early at all schools Tuesday because of the heat and on the recommendation of its energy suppliers. On Wednesday, students in the schools without air conditioning — Harry S. Truman High School and Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School — were dismissed early while students at the remaining Bristol Township schools put in a full day Wednesday because those buildings have air conditioning. That same schedule will also hold for Thursday, BTSD officials said.

Three Council Rock elementary schools — Hillcrest and Richboro in Northampton and Sol Feinstone in Upper Makefield — dismissed students early Wednesday and will do so again Thursday because those buildings are not fully air conditioned.

In Bristol Borough, the middle/high school has early dismissals Wednesday and Thursday while students at the air conditioned Snyder-Girotti Elementary School will have full days.

In the Quakertown Community School District, the non-air conditioned Neidig and Quakertown elementary schools dismissed students early on Wednesday. A decision about Thursday will be made early that morning, a school district spokesman said.

Hours lost because of early dismissals don't count against the state's required 180 days of school a year and do not have to be made up, school district officials said.

Officials at districts where all the schools are air conditioned and which aren't dismissing students early are still taking precautions against the heat in other areas, they said.

"The high school administration is coordinating sports programs to restrict practice times and ensure proper hydration protocols are followed," Neshaminy School District spokesman Chris Stanley said.

"At the middle schools, the start of (sports) practices has been delayed until at least Friday," he continued. "Teams may meet indoors on Thursday for completion of paperwork and distribution of equipment. Other after-school activities may also be limited as appropriate."

Centennial School District Superintendent David Baugh said "we are modifying and/or cancelling practices and meets depending on the sport."

While conceding the district has taken measures like placing fans in schools, the North Penn parent wrote that isn't enough and that the few hours of lost instructional time won't make a difference in the students' education.

"When can we say enough is enough and our school district needs to do more for our staff and students who are in buildings with no air?" she wrote. "Do we live in a district and society who only listens when someone really does get ill from being in these conditions and they decide to hold our district accountable and sue?"

Liberaski, the North Penn spokeswoman, said the district takes many steps to keep staff and students cooler in its buildings that don't have central air conditioning. They include fans, portable air conditioners and letting parents take their children home early as an excused absence.

In this case, district officials decided that the added step of dismissing students early from the four schools on Thursday was necessary, Liberaski said.

"Dismissing four out of 18 schools early comes with many challenges and NPSD has heard from parents who support a dismissal and those who do not," she said. "It is not the practice of NPSD to automatically dismiss due to high temperatures, but as previously stated, monitor the schools and adhere to proven protocols, and in the case of this week and the anticipated continued high temperatures, dismiss early."

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